Dot One: Flying Blind
by McNineSpike
Summary: It's ironic, Bats are blind and yet Tim Drake relies on his sight to fight crime. When he starts seeing spots in his vision, he brushes it off. It'll go away; however, when it doesn't he's forced to go to the doctor. The doctor gives him some news that will forever change his and the batfamily's lives. Red Robin has to now learn how to fly blind. NO SLASH! T for language!
1. Chapter 1

A/N Please Enjoy! PS leave me a review with thoughts, they make my day!

Prologue:

"So what are you saying, Doctor Morgan?" Tim asks.

Tim considers himself to be a fairly intelligent person, not pompous about it, but still, he's not a dummy. But seriously, for the last five minutes he's had no idea what the hell his doctor was talking about. He just came to see about the little spot in his vision. That's all it is. A little dot, dot one, apparently, of more to come. Because after ignoring the dot for a few days...one dot became two. And two, well yes, it turned to three, and then well...it doesn't take a genius to see the pattern here. It does however take someone with time in their schedule to get themselves down to the doctor's office. And time...well, Tim doesn't have a lot of that. Between Titan's missions and finishing his dissertation for college, it is all, literally a blur.

And then a blur became a fuzz, and so on, so on. Then Tim finally hit is breaking point when he was having trouble seeing in the dark. Because as long as the dots did not effect his nightly mission, he'd ignore them and pretend they don't exist. Pretend that they'll go away that one day he'll wake up and the dots will be gone. However, this did not happen, for Tim it only got worse. Till finally, last night he could barely see in the dark. To make matters worse, Tim is a thick head and likes to pretend like he's as indestructible as the Supers he runs around with. So anyway, last night he was shooting a line out...and missed. In flight, he fell and thank god Superboy and Impulse were there, or else Tim would be a puddle. He'd be a puddle and not currently sitting in the doctor's office getting rather confused with big complex medical words like, cornea, retina, pupil...and detachment.

The doctor pulls away, she takes her glasses off and cleans them. Then she places her face back to the eye examining piece. She hums, and turns to Tim.

"Mr. Drake, I have some very good news..." She smiles.

Oh, Tim's not going to go blind... That's what he'd like to here...

"This is not retinal detachment."

"Oh, good so these dotty things will go away soon?"

Her face turns a polite kind of cold Tim only associates with his mother, and with people who truthfully don't give a damn. His doctor seems like she's one of those people.

"No," She looks down at Tim, "the abrasions will only get worse with time."

Oh yes, exactly what Tim wants to hear.

"Tell me Mr. Drake, have you had much head trauma in your lifetime?"

No, not at all, being a late night detective vigilante is a very safe job... If only she'd see his insurance premiums, then she wouldn't be asking these really stupid annoying questions.

"I've taken a hit or two..." Or eighty-two thousand nine hundred n' one... But that's being generous.

"I see," She dips her head close again. In the mirror attached to the doctor's equipment Tim can see the surface cornea of his eyes. Even to him they seem clouded, and if Tim can notice it, it's surely not a good sign. He can only make one logical deduction... One of these days, maybe sooner than he thinks, his corneas will become completely clouded. His retina will no longer know the light of day again... and yes, he'll be blind. However, one thing being a detective has taught him is to, never, ever, jump from point A to point Z, and going blind, well Tim would hope that'd be after point Z.

He can't control this though, and that, it's starting to terrify him. This doctor's appointment is running twice as long as Tim blocked time in his very busy, Titan mission, college attending, Enterprise running, schedule. First, the doctor was late getting to him...but then, oh yes, she wanted to take ten million and three X-rays/pictures, and scans, and Tim's surprised she didn't have him pee into a cup.

This is just the eye doctor...

The doctor gets up...

Tim doesn't like the look on her face... It's still cold, but just with an echo of feeling in her dull green eyes where emotion once lingered... She's got her hands jammed into her white lap coat pockets.

She turns her back to him. The illumination of the X-ray scans light up the dark room and shadows are cast on the doctor's face. Opening her mouth she frowns, closing it again. Her long fingers take a pen from her lap coat and make a small mark on the screen.

Little does Tim know that small mark, inked out in pen, just a little X, marking the spot... It will forever change his life. Perhaps, he should consider that his dot one because it's the first point in the connect the dots puzzle that his life is about to become. It's the point of entry, the point of no epic return.

The Doctor turns over her shoulder, just barely, "Mr. Drake, I've found the issue."

Tim takes a deep breath, but he can't do much else to ready himself for the doctor's life changing words.

"And what's that doctor?"

"There is a foreign body pressing up against your optical nerve endings." She draws a small circle around the X. "It is most likely a tumor of some sort. We'll have to do more tests to be completely sure, and I'll refer you to a doctor who can perform the specialized brain scan. Then we will move on from there."

"Does this mean cancer?"

The doctor turns, clicking her pen and placing it 'just so' back into her pocket. She pushes her glasses back into place and smooths her white lab coat down. Her green eyes glow and this time Tim can see the mirror of sadness reflecting there. She sits down in front of Tim, pulling her chair close.

"Not necessarily, some tumors are not cancerous. It may be a build up of calcium particles pressing up against the optic nerve. It could be a bone fragment from one too many hits to the head or concussions. It could be cancerous, truth is, we need to do more tests."

Why are her words not helping? Tim should be at least a little bit relieved, this may not be cancer, he may not loose his sight, if something is there it can always be taken out. There is still hope, but Tim can't feel it. To him, it's just not there, this is his dot one, the point of no return.

And now Tim has to ask another hard question...

"What are the odds of me keeping my sight."

Tim just can't fathom the existence of both cancer and blindness in his life, those are two sickly guests that are just not welcome. They might as well just put him in the ground now... He couldn't live with both...

"Completely as it was before, undamaged, not good. I can promise you I'll do my best."

Tim isn't sure he believes that... But it's the best he has. For now. In the back of his mind though, he can only think of one thing. What will he tell his family? What will he tell the titans? How does Red Robin fit into this puzzle...

"I understand, doctor." Tim says, he feels awkward rising from the medical chair. How should he feel though? Just getting up and leaving the doctor who basically just told you, your life is about to change forever. What is Tim supposed to say to that? Somehow, he thinks, 'thanks have a great day,' would be just a little to anti-climactic. He's not known for his stage presence anyway, so Tim turns once at the door, "I guess you'll be in touch?"

The doctor quirks her top lip. The gesture only mildly resembles a smile, "Yes, I'll have my nurses call you."

A/N- I hope everyone enjoys the Prologue. I know it is short, but the next chapters will be longer. I just wanted to get this out there and set up the story arc. This has been burning in the back of my head for a while, and I decided this is the right time to let it loose and let it troll the internet once and for all. In addition, this means I already have Chapter one written, I just need to finish/edit it. This story was inspired by a book I'm reading for IB English. The novel is called, "The End of Your Life BookClub," it's a wonderful read. I strongly suggest people to pick it up! It has nothing to do with this story, on the surface, but deeper many of the themes addressed in that book will be the same here. However, I do not own and I am not trying to duplicate that work at all!

Secondly, I have common knowledge of most medical terms concerning eyes because I had to do a major research project for School a few years ago on eyes. So I guess my bio class is finally paying off! So yep, this does not mean I'll be an expert though! Much of my research is coming from old research papers and google searches! I'll be taking a realistic/creative approach for the rest of the story/series, yes because this is planned as a series; however, the completion depends on readers/reviewers, no one reading, no one writing!

Finally, I just want to thank everyone for reading! And to The Soap Box Writer for hearing me rant about this... Here it finally is!

Have any questions? Want to ask a question about the story! PM me! I don't troll I promise! :)

McNineSpike

Please check back soon for the next update!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n Okay! I am so sorry I'm late updating this! I was super busy over the last few weeks! I'm still trying to work out a schedule for all the active stories I have. For now, DOFB will be getting updated every other week. The updates will most likely occur on Fridays or Saturdays. That said, I'd just like to thank everyone for the wonderful and kind reviews! I promise, everyone is in for a treat. Please Enjoy Chapter 2! :) Don't hesitate to leave me a a review, tell me what you think.**

Chapter 2

A Healthy Dose of Irony

It's true, when it rains, it pours.

For the past two weeks Tim's been pulled in every single direction imaginable. School, Titans, family, Wayne Enterprises, not to mention the fact that each day, upon waking, his vision is hazier. It's like constantly peering threw a snow globe except the little flakes of snow never settle. Translucent dots become more and more opaque each and every day. Shadows are thicker, fuzzier, everything has a sort of film covering the important details.

And it's only been two weeks.

The clock of the future haunts him, he can't help but look to the future. If it's this bad now... what will it be like in two more weeks? A month? Well, the thought makes Tim want to gag. It feels like some one is holding his head under water, forcing him to breathe.

And yet, he sits in the waiting room. Squinting down at the medical journal on his lap, he turns the page, checking the time. Dr. Morgan is running late...again. He's come to expect it. Gotham General bustles around him, people moving, giving orders, patients drifting in and out like a tide. A tide that Tim is drowning under, the riptide dragging him into unknown depths. An unknown darkness, and he is searching, hands out, for any source of light.

He doesn't have the courage to tell Bruce, to tell any of them. What will they say? What will they think? Most of all, what will happen to him? Going on patrol is becoming more and more difficult, soon, he might have to stop all together. And that, uselessness, that will be the true, utter, and complete death of him.

"Mr. Drake?" Karen says, Dr. Morgan's nurse, steps into the waiting room. Since the moment Tim first stepped foot into Dr. Morgan's office, Karen's been a friendly face. A small beam of light in Tim's shadowy world. The petite nurse has a kind face complete with green eyes and tanned skin. Her walk is more of a waddle because of her distended pregnant belly. The pink scrubs she wears seem to brighten up the otherwise dull waiting room.

Tim stands, setting the medical journal back down. It's now or never, and Tim much prefers to get the bad news now, so he can sulk about it and think of something to do about it later. Dr. Morgan's office is a maze of interconnecting halls that only nurses, and people with bat training can navigate without getting completely turned around. He sighs, taking another corner.

As they walk Karen tries to engage Tim.

"How are you today?" Karen says with a smile, "I hope we didn't keep you waiting too long, I understand that you must have a very busy schedule."

"I'm fine, how's the baby?" Tim asks.

"Kicking like a ninja master," she says. They round another corner,

Karen rubs her belly,"but it's okay. He's my little ninja," she smiles, "you'd think I've got Batman in there.".

"Alright then, well I'm happy for you." Tim says, trying his best not to picture the mental image of a mini Batman kicking in Karen's stomach.

"He's doing great. Very healthy. I just had my check-up today.

"Congratulations,"

Karen smiles warmly, she pats Tim on the shoulder, "Dr. Morgans waiting inside," she turns, "I hope all goes well."

Tim slips inside, sitting in the huge leather medical arm chair. The room is dark. Complete with a dim spotlight that hangs over Tim's head. There is just enough light to examine by. Dr. Morgan has her back turned, glasses balanced precariously on her nose, bent over a stack of papers.

Tim takes a seat, waiting, yet again.

He counts off the minutes it takes for Dr. Morgan to get up. The task is mundane, but he needs to keep his mind busy.

He gets to three minutes when finally Dr. Morgan gets up from her chair. Tim recognizes the cool mask of professionalism she hides behind. And he remembers how her eyes betrayed her heart last time he was here. She gets up and takes off her glasses, running a hand through her greying hair. She returns to the x-ray machine that changed Tim's life. Flipping the switch she turns the device on. It casts a blue shadows in the room turning the color of Dr. Morgans eyes bright. Tim can no longer see the little X that changed everything but that doesn't mean it's not there anymore. The X disappeared like a ghost that Tim can only remember haunting him. His dot one, the place from which there is no epic return is now invisible to him. It's just another thing he surrendered to the fog his life has become.

"Mr. Drake, it's good to see you."

It's a little late for formal greetings but Alfred taught him well, "thank you Dr. Morgan, nice to see you too."

"Hm, well I've spoken to the other Dr. who will be involved in your case. His name is Dr. Greenaway, he's a tumor specialist. We've confirmed with a 80% confidence that the foreign body pressing up against your optical nerve endings is a tumor."

Tim's mouth goes dry, that is the last thing he'd ever like to hear. What kind of cards had life dealt him? Denial, he can't fall into it. He can't start asking himself those types of questions. He needs to be logical, think through this. But, dammit, everything is just so foggy around him. Nothing is in clear focus, nothing will be in clear focus again. This is his ending...his-

"Mr. Drake," Dr. Morgan comes close, wresting a hand on his shoulder, "did you hear me?"

Of course, he heard Dr. Morgan. Nah, he wasn't having a mini panic attack at all.

"No sorry, Dr. Morgan."

She rubs a small circle into his shoulder, all the while her cold expression remains. The result makes Tim feel like he's being belittled, talked down to. Her tone suggests that Tim should just get over it. The look in her cold eyes enforces that point driving it home with a sharp intensity. It takes all Tim's self-controlnot to shrug her away, give her a good nerve pinch to loosen her up.

"Dr. Greenaway will be preforming the surgery and I'll be conducting the follow-ups. After the surgery is over we'll have more information to go on. We'll be able to determine if the foreign body is cancerous or not. Like I said a few weeks ago it could be a calcium buildup or a bone fragment from a head injury."

Dr. Morgan rolls away bending over her desk once again. She takes out her pen, places her glasses on her nose, and begins to write. A few weeks ago Tim would be able to clearly see the paper Dr. Morgan hands to him. However, now each letter is fuzzier. It is now more difficult for him to see every nuance of Dr. Morgan's hand writing. Although, these details are lost on him the paper is not difficult to read.

It's a prescription for an eye drop. He'll run it through a medical database later, checkout the chemical breakdown, when it was first FDA approved, and any possible side effects.

"Take this drop twice a day up until the day before the surgery. On the day of the surgery take it four times," Dr. Morgan turns back to her desk

Tim gets up from his chair.

"See you next time," she calls out, but the door is already closed.

He retraces his steps back down the hall crumpling the script in his pocket. He'll mope about the paper-cut later, right now he just wants out of this place. Storming for the door he merely waves to Karen as he passes. Once in the hall he's seeing red. Not literally because that'd be really weird, but he's angry. So angry. All he wanted to do was help people, help this hell whole regain some of its former so called glory. This is how fate repays him? By shoving this...this whatever straight in his face. Blinding him with the cruel intensity of his battle-

"Oops, I'm so sorry," the voice is happy, cheerful, "haha, didn't see you there."

Tim grunts.

"Okay...blind jokes too obvious? Not funny? Sorry, dude I'll be on my way."

Tim looks up finally.

His heart stops. He just barreled directly into a girl not much older than he. She's short, small, with a kind smile and almond colored eyes that can't quite focus.

Well, goddammit isn't life just ironic?

She begins to walk away cane tapping in front of her.

"Sorry,"

She turns, smiling, "delayed reaction much," She sticks a hand out, "I'm Wendy Wu and you're the grumpy guy I just ran over."

"Sorry about that," Tim says, shaking her hand, "my name is Tim."

"It's okay,"

Tim notices she's got a book tucked under her arm and another tucked into a bag she's carrying.

"I'm here to read to the kids in the cancer unit. My mom is a nurse here."

"Oh that's-"

And of course because the world has it out for Tim Drake his phone begins to ring.

"I'm sorry, brothers."

"Ooh, that sounds serious. I'll see ya round, so to speak."

Before Tim can reply Wendy's gone, weaving her way down the halls.

"Dick this better be good."

"Haha, I wish Timmy, Arkham inmates just staged a breakout. Bats needs our help.'

"Ah, hell."

**A/N I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! **

**Please drop me a dime! :) Tell me what ya think! Also I promise Wendy will not become one of those Mary Sue's and fall in hopeless love with Tim in chapter three. I don't do that shit, this ain't twilight! Sorry. **

**Next chapter coming in two weeks! Maybe sooner if ya'll want! **

**Feel the Aster everyone! **


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